Container feeder



Nov. 23, 1948. F. w. KRUEGER v I 2,454,285

CONTAINER FEEDER Filed July :5, 1944 s sheets-sheet 2 Inni/ufff F. W. KRUEGER CONTAINER FEEDER INov. 23, 1948.

l 5 Shoo'ts-Sheot 3 Filed July 3, 1944 Patented Nov. 23, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER FEEDER Frank W. Krueger, Atherton, Calif., lllllnor to `Food Machinery Corporation, San Jole, Calif., Y a corporation of Delaware Application July 3, 1944, Serial N0. 543,837 Claims. (Cl. 226-96) v1 In the canning industry, containers, which are generally either glass jars or cans, must be fed in an orderlymanner to machines provided for filling and capping these.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel and eillcient feeder for accomplishing this.

Preceding the capping of such illled containers. it has been found preferable to tamp the pack down into the containers and remove any portion of the contents necessary to produce a uniform upper level of the contents in'the containers located a short distance below the top of the container. This operation is termed "head spacing. i

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel device for displacing the contents in the tops of containers while feeding the latter in timed relation to a machine for capping these.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects, as well as further objects and advantages, will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a pre.- ferred embodiment of the invention taken on the line I--I of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. V3 ,is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, and illustrates how a guide engages a jar being handled by my invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my invention partly broken away to illustrate normally concealed details of the construction.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, illustrating the manner of operation of one of the tampers of my invention.

I will now refer specifically to the drawings which show a container feeding and head spacing device I0 which includes a rotary receiving conveyor I I, a rotary feeder i2, a rotary head spacer i3, and a carry-away conveyor I4, the latter being shown as mounted on a capper I5.

The device I0 is supported on-a central pedestal IB including a vertical shaft I1 which' carries a horizontal spider frame i8, the latter preferably being connected to a base I3 of the capper I5 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. l

The rotary conveyor Il comprises a horizontal disc 2li mounted on a vertical shaft 2i, the lower end of which is ilxed on the frame IB. Provided on the shaft 2i is a collar 22 to which is attached one end of a container guide rail 23. The disc 20 2 is driven by a sprocket .24 disposed therebeneath. The frame I8 has a stub shaft 33 (see Fig. 3) on which is provided a gear pinion 38 having a sprocket 40, the latter beeing connected by a chain 4l to the sprocket 24 for the purpose of rotating the disc 20.

The rotary feeder I2 has a hollow vertical shaft 42 which surrounds an upper portion of the shaft I1 and rests on the frame I8. Fixed on the lower end of the shaft 42 is a feeder plate 43 having a master gear 44 which meshes with lthe pinion 39 so as to be driven by the latter.

The plate 43 is generally circular in form, the periphery thereof being divided into alternate container supporting teeth 45 and notches 46. The upper surface ofthe plate 43 is provided with rib-like container guides 41, one of which is disposed just to the rear of each of the peripheral teeth 45, each of the guides 41 lying in a substantially spiral relation with the axis of theplate 43.

The hollow shaft 42 has a substantial upper portion thereof provided with external threads 5I. Resting on the feeder plate 43 and rotatably mounted about an unthreaded lower portion of the hollow shaft 42 is a container guide 52 having a container-engaging rail 53. The guide 52 has a portion 54 which is connected to the capper I5 to prevent this guide from rotating with the shaft 42 about which it is mounted. The guide 52 has an inverted U-shapedy bracket 51 which supports the forward end of the container guide rail 23. (See Figs. 1 and 3.)

The rotary head spacer I3 has an internally threaded hub B0 which screws onto the threads 5i and is held in a vertically adjustable position by a nut 6I. The hub BB has a circular platform 62 which is reinforced by weblike spokes 63 and carries near its periphery a series of tamping devices 65. These devices are identical, their construction being illustrated in detail in Fig. 5.

Each such device includes a flanged sleeve 66 which is inserted upwardly in a hole BI formed in the platform 62 and is secured therein by a lock nut 68. Inserted upwardly into the sleeve 66 is a cylindrical shell 69 having an outward flange 10 and a hole 'il forming an annular inner shoulder 'I2 at its lower end. Screwed into the internally threaded upper end of the shell 69 is a shell head 13,- having an internal bore 16. The shell 69 is normally held in its upper position with the flange 10 thereof contacting the sleeve 66,- by a coiled expansive spring 15.

Disposed within the shell 69 and extending through the hole 'Il is a tamper rod 'I1 having a shoulder 18 xed thereon, this normally resting against the internal shoulder 12. The upper end oi' the rod 11 extends a slight distance into the bore 18 when the rod 11 is yieldably held downward in the position in which it is shpwn in Fig. 5 by a coiled expansive spring 80.

Mounted on the lower end of the tamper rod 11 is a tamper 8| which preferably has an inverted irustoconical shape and is adapted to readily fit inside the mouth of a container such as a glass jar 82 which the invention is adapted to handle.

The rotary head spacer I3 has an annular housing 33 which provides cover for that portion of the devices 35 which extend above the platform 82. This housing is supported on an overhead spider 84 which is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the hub 88 and is connected by frame shafts 88 to the spider frame I8 beneath the feeder plate 43.

The hub 86 of the spider 84 rests upon a shoulder 81 formed on the hub 68 of the head spacer I3 and is held in place by the nut 8i so as to permit the hubv 60 to rotate while the spider 84 remains stationary.

Mounted on the spider 84 within the housing 83 to extend downwardly along the path taken by the devices 65 as the platform 82 rotates, is a tamper operating cam 88 which engages the shell heads 13 to lower each tamper 8| into the mouth of the container 82 disposed'therebeneath.

Following this action the cam 89 permits the shell head 13 to rise and thus withdraw the tamper 8| from the mouth of the container.

The rail 53 of the container guide 52 is preferably shaped as shown in Fig. 1 where it is seenthat after spiralling outwardly from the axis of the plate 43, this rail, for a distance, becomes concentric with said axis, after which it then extends tangentlally therewith and parallel with an adjacent portion of the chain conveyor I4.'

The conveyor I4 includes a double chain 30 carrying a 'series of container-propelling upwardly-extending lugs 9i, this chain passing around a sprocket 92 having a gear pinion 93 eo-axially united therewith and pivotally mounted on a shaft provided on the capper frame I9. The pinion 93 meshes with a gear 83a which in turn meshes with the pinion 39 so that the application of power to the chain 80 causes the conveyor I4 to function. and also drives the conveyor I I, the

feeder I2 and the head spacer I3. It is thus seen that all of these elements of the invention function coordinately with each other and with the conveyor I4.

Besides the chain 90 the conveyor I4 includes a side rail 94 and an operating runway 95. As clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 4, the containers move onto the split runway 95 of the conveyor I4 in spaces between adjacent lugs 9| after these containers are swept from the respective teeth 45 of the feeder 43 by the final portion of the guide rail 53 which is parallel with the conveyor I4.

Operation While the feeder of my invention may be used to feed various kinds of containers and to feed these either when they are empty or filled, the

affamatil shunted off of the disc 20 by this rail onto the feeder plate 43.

The speed of rotation of the disc 20 is so fixed with respect to he speed of rotation of the feeder plate 48, that one jar is delivered onto the latter from the disc 20 for each of the angular spaces between adjacent container guides 41.

When thus delivered, each jar 82 may rest on the plate'43 within one of said angular spaces or it may be deposited on one of the guides 41. y In either case, the Jar is rotated and shifted by contact with the outwardly spiral portion of the rail 58 so that while still being so outwardly shifted by said rail, the jar comes into contact with the guide 41 immediately following said lar. Owing to the inclination of each of the guides 41 forwardly towards a radius'intersecting its outer end, these guides remain in position controlling contact with Jars 82 after the latter come into contact with said guides while resting flatly on the plate 43.

The speed with which the jars 82 travel on the plate 43 is accelerated owing to their being disposed an increasing distance from the axis of the plate as the jar follows the spiralsurface of the rail 53. At the same t-ime the movement of the Jars on the plate 43 is further accelerated by the forward inclination of the'l `'guides 41. Thus, Whenever a jar is moving outwardly in contact with both the rail 53 and one of the guides 41, this jar is also actually caused to revolve forwardly relative to the plate 43 in a counterclockwise direction.

Accomplishing the spacing of the jars 82 on the plate 43 by relatively shallow guides 41 onto which the jars may be deposited without spilling the contents of the jar. has the great advantage of allowing the jars to be delivered at random onto the plate 23 without respect to their relation to` the guides 41.

As the jars 82 are propelled by the guides 41 along the pathway defined by the outer surface ofthe guide rail 53, these Jars come opposite that portion of this path which is concentric with the shaft 42 and itis here where the cam 88 is located so as to operate the tamping devices and extend the tampers 8| into the necks of the Jars and then withdraw the tampers therefrom before the jars are shifted from the feeder plate I2 onto the runway 88 oi the conveyor I'4.

The head spacer I3 thus removes enough liquid from the upper end of each `iar 82vso that a iniform amount of contents remains in these ars.

It is thus seen that I have provided, in my invention, a combined container unscrambling device, accelerating devicel timing device and head spacing device.

While I have disclosed but a single preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that many modifications might be made in this without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:y

1. In a container feeder the combination of: a relatively fiat plate; means for rotating said plate about a substantially vertical axis; a series of relatively shallow guides prov.ded on the upper surface of said plate, said guides extending outwardly from a central areaof said plate; and a container guide rail disposed above said plate, said rail being disposed to shift along said guides containers deposited on said plate and engaged at spaced intervals determined by the spacing of 'y said glaces.'

2. In a container feeder the combination of: a relatively nat plate; means for rotating said plate about a subtantially vertical axis; a /guide provided on the upper surface of said plate, said guide being so shallow in depth that a container deposited on top of it will not bel upset thereby but may be shifted by pressure against the side of said container until said container rests fiat against said plate; and a rail disposed above said plate at a level to be engaged by the side of a container carried by ysaid plate said rail shifting such container away from over said guide vif said container should overlie saidguide, said rail cooperating with said guide,"fhowev,er, to shift a' container lying fiat against said plate in advance of said guide, along a path culminating with said container in a pre-determined delivery position.

3. In a container feeder the combination of: a relatively flat plate; means for rotating said plate about a substantiallyvertical axis; a guide provided on the upper surface of said plate, said guide being so shallow in depth that a container deposited on`top of it will not be upset thereby but may be shifted by pressure against the side of said container until said container rests flat against said plate; and a rail disposed above said plateat a level to be engaged by the side of a container carried by said plate said rail shifting A' i such container away from over said guide if said container should overlie said guide, said rail co- Number teeth and notches formed in said periphery, one

of said teeth beingprovided just in advance of each of said guide means; rail means mounted above said plate, said guide means and rail means operating coordinately on each container resting on said plate to propel said container outwardly over a predetermined path and onto one of said teeth as` a result of the rotation of said plate; and a conveyor disposed adjacent to said plate and having a series of spaced container propelling lugs which extend into said .notches and engage said containers, said conveyor receiving said containers and conveying them away from said plate.

5. In a container feeder the combination of: a relatively flat plate; means for rotating said plate about a substantially vertical axis; a series of guides provided on the upper surface of said plate which are so shallow in depth that a container, deposited on top of one of said guides will not be upset thereby, but may be shifted by pressure against the side of said container until said container rests flat against said plate, said guides being disposed in substantially spiraled relation with said axis with their outer ends inclined in the direction of rotation of said plate; and arail disposed above said plate at a level to be engaged by the side of a container carried by said plate, said rail shifting such coni tainer away from over one of said guides if said container should overlie said guide, said rail cooperating with any of said guides, however, to shift a container .lying flat against said plate in advancefof said` guide, along a path culminating with said container in a predetermined delivery position.

FRANK W. KRUEGER.

REFERENCES CITED y The following references are of record in the 4o .file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,972,841 Guenther Sept. 4, 1934 Worz June 6, 1944 

